The Stranger of the Moulin Rouge
by Rudy1
Summary: A stranger sent from the past arrives at the Moulin Rouge, minutes before Satine dies. His main purpose for coming to the future is to find someone to teach him to fall in love, a.k.a Christian and he takes the challenge as an excuse to not return to dad.
1. The Dark Night

Chapter One: The Dark Night

_1768, France_

"Quickly, we have to move quickly, alright? You keep the guards busy, kill them if you must, just as long as I have enough time to capture the prince." Thomas Humphrey ordered. His closest friend, Charles Cunningham nodded solemnly to show he understood, even though he really didn't. He didn't understand why Tom wanted to capture the Prince of France, and he didn't understand his friends odd obsession with ending government either. The prince had always ruled fairly, and had kept France prosperous and peaceful, just as his father before him, and his grandfather too. But no matter what evidence Charles threw at Thomas that the prince was a good ruler, Tom kept stubborn and stayed with his seemingly absurd reason.

            "On the count of three…" Thomas suddenly muttered from their hiding place on the stairway. Charles was shocked awake from his thought about how wrong everything was at that moment.

            "Tom, are you sure you want to do this?" Charles groaned.

            "Charles, I've told you over and over. I have my reasons for wanting to capture the prince."

            "Well I have nothing against him! Do you have _any_ idea how wrong this feels for me?"

            "No, but you don't have any idea how I feel either, so we're even. Now, again, on the count of three. One…"

            "Please, Tom, can't we do this some other time?" Charles hurriedly said. Panic was beginning to flow through him like a splash of ice-cold water running through his blood. He might really have to do this after all.

            "Two…"

            "Tom, you know were risking an awful lot! They could have our heads if were caught! Think of your family!" The cold panicking feeling was now moving into his stomach, activating a burst of horrid nausea.

            "Three!" Thomas gave Charles a surprising push out of their hiding place where he faced the two guards protecting the wooden door that led into the princes chambers. And that was how Charles was forced to fight. He raised his sleek polished sword, with it's golden handle and pointed it at the guards with his right hand.

            "Move or I'll be forced to kill you," Charles unhappily said. Sadly, the guards merely laughed at the thin boy with the curly sandy hair. They knew they were far stronger then him, and also knew-no, a more appropriate word would be _thought-_they would win.

            "It's a pity your so stupid and ignorant…" Charles gloomily replied at their rude cackle. Suddenly, he began to dash toward the first guard, and before the guard could react, he had felt the cold taste of steel in his stomach driven into him and then back out as he fell dead to the ground. The second guard reacted faster then the first and was behind Charles before he knew it, but Charles reacted faster still and stopped the guards attack with his bloody sword, causing the irritating _clang!_ of metal against metal. _Clang! Clang! Clang! _went the two swords, each time moving the two swordsmen farther from the door. Thomas took his chance while he had it, and jumped out from his hiding place, completely unnoticed by the guard as he had his back to the door. Tom moved to the door at a soft jog and kicked the door open. It fell to the ground with an odd _plop!_.

            Tom walked across the door and stopped and it's end, unable to find what he wanted. Within an instant he felt the weight of a body on his back, and then the feeling of cold air rushing past him as he fell to the ground. His head turned quickly a few seconds after he landed on the floor, only to meet face to face with the prince. Apparently, he had heard the noise of the battle outside and had prepared for whatever was coming, in this case, a solo rebel.

            "Who are you, and what do you want?" demanded the prince.

            "I don't answer to you!" With great speed, Tom gathered up all his strength and focused it on turning around, which he did so, making him be the one on top of the prince.

            "Are you a citizen of France?" the prince demanded again.

            "I'm a perfect citizen, you're the only problem."

            "Well, a true citizen would never attack their ruler like this," the prince replied calmly, as he pushed Thomas off him with great force. The two men quickly stood up just as a harsh rain began to fall on the outside. With a flash of lighting, the two were suddenly head to head, pushing against each other with their bare hands. Thomas, being just slightly stronger and much more determined, easily began to push the prince, all the way to the window, and then accidentally out of it.

            A shock ran through Tom's brain al off a sudden. A shock of confusion. He was unsure weather this was what he had wanted. He slowly walked to the window, still in complete shock, and softly laid his hands on the ledge and looked down. Complete darkness. A few seconds later, Charles entered the room, his sword bloodier then the last time Tom had seen it.

            "Where's the prince?" he asked, as he looked around.

            "He… he accidentally fell… out the window…"

~*~     ~*~      ~*~       

            The harsh storm blew on, fierce as ever, as the Prince of France moved rapidly by the current of a river he had fallen in to.  He soon ended up on a shore, at one of the most coincidental spots he could have: The Wizards Hut.

            By coincidence, the wizard had just happened to be outside practicing a bit of his magic.

            "Dear lord!" the wizard cried, "A man!" He immediately stopped his training and dashed toward the unconscious prince. He raised him out of the water, turned him over, and saw his face, giving a soft gasp. "The Prince! What in heavens name is he doing here? Whatever the reason, I mustn't return him to his proper place. The boy must fall in love as his father wished since the prince was born. If I keep him here with me, surely, someone will find out and I'll have my head off. The only way would have to be to send him away… to the future. Someone their will teach him to love."

            The wizard ran back to his hut, leaving the prince laying on the floor, and came out sometime later with 6 white rocks. He placed each one in a certain position so that they formed a circle around the prince.

"_With thy words, I send thou away,_

_Far away into a distant day._

_There learn to love,_

_From the man who knows its best to have loved and lost then to have never loved at all."_

            A flash of white light, and suddenly the floor with in the circle was a swirl of white light, in which the prince fell through into another time.


	2. Christian and Satine

_A/n: This is a very short chapter, but its very interesting. Do read._

Chapter Two: Satine and Christian

_1890, Paris_

            The Moulin Rouge. The Prince of 16th century France awoke outside the doors of the infamous Moulin Rouge. He was lying on the ground, and the streets were empty for it was late and most of the people were either asleep, or watching the suspense within the Moulin Rouge's walls.

            Since the Moulin Rouge was the closest thing to him, the prince entered, unaware of his true identity or what had happened, his clothes entirely changed into a tuxedo and top hat. It was as if he had lived in the 18th century his entire life, as the mysterious wizard had intended.

            Inside, the prince saw he was within a thearter and that a show was playing upon the stage. Spectacular, Spectacular.

            "THE GREATEST THING YOU'LL EVER LEARN IS JUST TO LOVE AND BE LOVED IN RETURN!" were the words the prince heard as he entered. A man half way through the entrance stopped suddenly.

            "Never knew… I could… feel… like this… It's like I've never seen the sky before… Want to vanish inside your kiss... Everyday I'm loving you more and more! Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing? Come back to me! And forgive everything!" Sang a woman on the stage, who was the apparent star in her sparkling dress and crown. "Seasons may change, winter to spring…." She paused suddenly and then lowered her voice to a whisper, "I love you…to the end of… time."

            "Come what may," started the man, turning to the stage and slowly walking to it, "Come what may… Come what may! Come what may!"      

The woman and man suddenly began to sing together, "I will love you! Until, my dieing day! Come what may! Come what may! … I will love you until my dieing day!" Suddenly a short clown like man swung across the stage. 

"He's trying to kill you!" the man shouted. By now the man who was about to leave the Moulin Rouge when the prince arrived was on the stage with the actress in the sparkling dress. Seconds of confusion as a gun flew around, and finally, victory.

All of the people on stage suddenly broke out in song, more as if in triumph.

_"No matter what you say,_

_The show's ending our way!_

_Come on and stand your ground,_

_For freedom, Beauty! Truth! And Love!_

_You can't fool the children of the revolution,_

_No you can't fool,_

_The children of the revolution!_

_No you won't fool,_

_The children of the revolution!_

_No you can't fool,_

_The children of the revolution!"_

As they sang, the people on the stage raised the man and the woman so that they faced each other and finished the song:

_"Yes, I will love you,_

_Until my dying day!"_

Then the curtains closed, and the prince dashed backstage. He came just in time to see the singing man lower the woman slowly to the ground, all of the actors around them, watching. 

"Fetch the doctor!" Shouted Harold Zidler. The prince could here few words from the lovers.

"You've got to go on Christian…"

"Can't go on without you, though…"

"You've got so much to give… Tell-… Tell out story, Christian."

"No…"

"Promise me… promise me…" 

"Yes…"

"I'll always be with you…" The woman smiled, one last smile of a love that had nearly conquered all, but has sadly failed in the end. A love that would live on forever and keep the bonds between the two people forever, something Christian hadn't yet realized over his devastation. He suddenly began to shake horribly in despair and disbelief and kissed his loves cold red lips, then gave out a cry of sorrow.   

Everyone stood around and watched with tears at the loss of the woman whom had brought so much joy to their life and kept them in business for such a long time, the audience outside applauding the show, unaware of the misery that was hanging over the backstage. The woman known as Satine was dead.

"Who are they?" the prince asked to a woman with black hair who was standing next to him.

"You seriously don't know? Why, she… _was_ the Sparkling Diamond of the Moulin Rouge. The star, Satine!" answered the woman, a bit rudely as she whipped tears from her eyes, smudging her makeup.

"What about the man?" the prince asked again, turning to Christian and feeling such pity for him.

"That's the writer of the show, Christian. Satine's _lover_." The woman replied again, saying the word "lover" in a bit of a disgusted way. "No one knows how it started, but we all know they were in love, maybe even true love if that exists. I don't know anymore… Never really put much thought to it, but just seeing them gives me such a powerful passion…"

"Just from seeing them?"

"Yes, its odd… I don't quite know why, but I just do." She wiped more tears as she suddenly took a glance at the lifeless face of Satine that would have had such joy that she was finally a real actress and that her love had survived the plans of the wretched Duke. "I'm sorry… I can't go on…" The woman turned sharply on her heels and ran off to another part of the building, her cries echoing in the halls.

"Christian, Christian! You have to let go now!" Shouted Harold Zidler as he pulled at Christians sleeve. The prince hadn't noticed over his conversation.

"No! NO! I'll never let go! SATINE!" He yelled back, crying miserably. Two men were ordered to come at once and pulled Christian away from the body of Satine. They hung on to an arm each while Harold spoke to him.

"I know you loved her, boy, but you have to move on!"

"No! Life is pointless without Satine! Kill me, kill me now!" Zidler gave a deep sigh at Christians sorry words.

"He's in denial, take him away to his apartment." The men nodded and dragged the poor man who has lost the only woman he had ever loved with great effort.

_This is the one, _thought the prince, _he can teach me. I must follow him! _Which he did, slowly, and carefully so as to not be noticed. His chase led him to a room inside a building just a few blocks away from the Moulin Rouge. Once the two men had left, the prince dashed to the door that led to the room Christian was drowning his sorrow with tears. As his hand laid upon the door handle he suddenly felt regret. Maybe now wasn't the time to bother the poor man with his own problems after all he was going through and after all, it was just recently that is all began. Maybe in a few weeks, or a month even. Until then, the prince would stay in another room within the building and bide his time.


End file.
